The Eternal Internal Flame
by Candyland'sVirtue
Summary: Imagine how hard it would be to try and fit in on an alien world. You have to pretend to be someone you arent. No matter how much you try to blend in, there's that part of you that you still can't diminish. The Internal and Eternal Flame. When darkness rises, will Ritsu be able to turn the flame into a weapon against evil? Or maybe, is the evil truly not as bad as it seemed?
1. Candle

**Hey chicks. Another Sekaiichi Hatsukoi story here. This story will revolve over some songs by the ex-band 'Acceptance'. God I love their music :( Anyways, If you know them then great! If not, then great! You'll be hearing (Well, reading) some lyrics of their amazing music in this story (: I made the cover myself CX Anyone want one? I'll make one for any type of story...I love making them!**

**Summary: Imagine how it would feel to be alone. Completely and utterly alone in an alien world that hates you for who you are. Your own kind is dead, your family is dead, and everyone wishes you were dead. And no matter how much you try to blend in, there's that part of you that you still cannot diminish. A flame. The Internal and Eternal Flame. When darkness rises, will Ritsu be able to turn the flame he hated so much into a weapon against evil? Or is the real evil not what it seemed to be? **

**Disclaimer: Sekaiichi Hatsukoi (c) Shungiku Nakamura-sensei. **

**I hope you can enjoy~**

* * *

_Time, shows us that _

_All that ever mattered,_

_All that ever mattered, _

_Leaves us…_

_In the cold~_

_If you ever believe,_

_This is what you need._

_It will spin around and shatter._

_Throw you to the floor,_

_As it leaves us…_

_In the-_

The brunette shot awake, and slammed his palm down on the alarm clock that just so happened to read a clear 5:31.

_Cold. _The man thought, getting up for today's work. It was cold. As today was the mark of a new March, the weather was still frosting over from the previous winter months.

In the brunette's words: He was freezing his ass off in his _apartment_. This can pretty much give you an idea how he dealt with going outside in the morning.

Ritsu sighed, and pulled out a tan sweater, ignoring the fact that it smelled highly of alcohol. It was the same sweater he wore when he went drinking with _him. _The brunette scoffed, shaking off the thought, as he threw the sweater on casually.

As it was the start of a new month, it was also the start of a new four weeks. Which meant: Hell week had just ended. _Thank God it's over_, the brunette thought with ease. He hated hell week, as much as everyone else probably did. But being the Winter Holiday Special, the last deadline was much harder than any of the other ones.

Ritsu brushed his brown hair swiftly, grabbed his bag, and slipped his feet into his shoes with ease. Every time he put on his shoes, he couldn't help but think of England…And just how different the two cultures were. As he walked out the door with raging thoughts, his mind drifted to a new topic.

Takano.

He peered out of his apartment to make sure his neighbor wasn't there. He hated going to work with him. It was awkward, as well as embarrassing. Somehow the man had always managed to embarrass the hell out of him.

Seeing no figure in sight, he locked his door, and hurriedly made his way into the elevator. Pressing the '1' button, he allowed himself to relax, and his mind drifted to other thoughts. Thoughts that were best kept unthought-of, but he continued to think them anyways.

_My leg is really itching today, _thought the brunette with a sigh. He knew better to scratch them anyways. He didn't need _that_ happening again. He shrugged the thoughts off. He would deal with them later.

* * *

Before he knew it, he was at work, arriving at almost the same time as Hatori-san, and sat down at this desk without a word. Beginning to work, he let his mind wind back into the previous thoughts. He knew he shouldn't think about them at work, but he couldn't help it. They wouldn't leave him alone.

With a shake of his head, he let his body do his work, while his mind was somewhere else completely.

One thing about Ritsu that no one really knew was that he was adopted. He wasn't a true Onodera. Actually, he had no idea what kind of family he was born into. He always knew that there wasn't really a connection between him and his rich-parents. Sure, they shared some similarities here and there, but he always had that feeling in his gut…you know?

It was around 21 years ago, and he was around four or five at the time. Apparently, his parents, Fujihuko and Aikawa Onodera, were around his age, and had many attempts to make a child themselves.

It didn't work.

It was sorta like that old bible story…The brunette couldn't remember the name, but it was an old married couple…Who tried so desperately to have a baby, but they couldn't. Until god gave them one, finally.

Yeah, it wasn't that easy.

When the two went to the adoption center, all the other children were playing and giggling and having fun. But there was one little kid in the corner of the room, giving off a strange aurora. That was Onodera Ritsu. At the time, his hair was a light brown that shown off of the light, but his eyes still had the beautiful green shine they did today.

The married couple had found out that the other children were afraid of the brunette.

According to one of the children, he spent his time looking up at the sky instead of napping at nap time. Of course, they shrugged it off as mere insomnia, and adopted him. He was cute, and seemed like he'd grow up to be handsome, he loved books, perfect for being the son of a book publishing owner, and he was respectful. This above all odds won the couple over.

Little Ritsu lived a happy life. And no one except family and close friends really knew that he was adopted. Besides that, Onodera Publishing was just starting back then…Compared to today, it was nothing more than a mere book store.

Ritsu wouldn't lie. His parents were pretty obsessed. His mother loved wine, and there were probably more bottles of it in the house than there was actual oxygen. His father was known as an alcoholic, (probably where Ri-chan got his taste for it,) and often smoked in Ritsu's teen years.

The constant smoke had an effect on Ritsu, and ever since, he's had thick layers of scales crawling up from the back of his heel, and fading away into normal skin at about halfway to the knee. Don't freak now, it wasn't reptile-black and yellow skin. Instead of simple patches of skin, there were little scale-like designs that shone of light gold. The doctors said it would go away eventually.

But it didn't. No matter how many times people had tried to convince him it was just 'dry skin' he wouldn't listen. Because he knew it wasn't dry skin. Hell, it wasn't due to the constant smoke he breathed in either. It was because of what he was. What he was on the inside, which was starting to show on the outside.

He would never forget that day, the day he had met his Uncle Haui. Haui Orihara. Haui was Fujihuko's (his father) brother. After his grandparents split up, Fujihuko had sided with their mother, as Haui did with their father. They were still good friends, and kept close, but due to the divorce, Fujihuko inherited his mother's name, Onodera.

But back to Haui.

Haui is the military general for Japan. Yeah, talk about differences between the two siblings. One conducts war, while the other conducts books. However, the two had both worked vigorously to get where they were today, and Ritsu respected that.

But that didn't mean he liked his uncle. No, not at all. Ritsu had come to fear the man after that day, the day he had glared at him so intently, it made him want to curl up and hide. After all of those years, his Uncle was the first one (besides himself) to see who he actually was on the inside. _What_ he actually was meant to be.

A monster. A freak. The 'thing' that would never fit in. The boy who simply didn't belong. The words stung like a thorn in the young brunette's heart. He was so small back then…So naïve, so innocent…So _vulnerable. _As if the misunderstanding with Saga-Senpai wasn't enough, he was sent to Area 51 for almost a year and a half.

_And they told them I went to study abroad…_, thought the brunette grimly. It took a year and a half for his parents to realize that he wasn't really studying abroad, and it took them at least another three weeks to convince his uncle to let him out of the fricken jail.

It was then that he remembered the first flash of light.

Of that year and about three quarters, that 12 long months, those treacherous 55 weeks, and those depressing, 569 days in the everlasting darkness of his cell, he had never seen the light. Not even once. It was pure darkness, and he felt as if he would never see the sun again.

But that first flash of light…

It called out to him. The sunlight bathed his skin, and the wind held him in such a tight embrace, he felt as if he might almost suffocate. And then, he was pulled into a real embrace by his parents, who were crying tears of joy and apologizing over and over.

After tears were shed, and apologies accepted, he was turned roughly to face the tall, cold man that was his uncle.

"_Do anything threatening, and you're mine. Got that?"_

The words were scarred into his brain forever, and he remembered gulping almost 3 times before he stuttered out a weak 'Y-Y…Yes S-Sir…!'.

After that, he really DID go to study abroad, and no words of the previous events were mentioned by anybody. Of course, he never really talked to his uncle to begin with, as the first time seeing him was at the age of 15, but his parents acted like nothing ever happened. Sometimes he wondered if his uncle had really told them…If he told them what a freak their son was…That he was a monster that needed to be tamed. A creature with no right to walk the earth…But what would he have told them then? He wanted to keep the nephew he had never even met safe?

The thoughts rolled through the brunette's mind as he swiftly circled mistakes in the manuscript, jotting over them with the thin line of his red pen.

Sometimes…Ritsu liked to compare himself to things. _Different things_. Like the red pen.

Against the storyboard, the red ink stood out effortlessly against the white and black. It was as if it wasn't even trying. It didn't want to be different, it just _was._ And physically, there wasn't anything that could (really) change that.

He was like the lonely black sock against the white…The ugly duckling…He was the deer in the headlights.

It was then that the brunette shook his head, physically shaking all the thoughts out of his head.

Why was he sitting here feeling sorry for himself when he clearly had some work to do? If he was always complaining about how he couldn't take over his father's company, then why actually FOCUS on his damn work instead of thinking over useless things?

_But they aren't useless, and you know it,_ a voice inside of him rang. It wasn't quite his voice, and it wasn't quite him thinking it. But then again, it _was_.

Ritsu let out a tired sigh, mumbling a weak 'I'll deal with it later', and continued to work on his author's storyboard.

And that's exactly what he did.

* * *

After hours of long work, everyone in the Maiden department had gone home, except for one. (And well, one was still in a meeting, but that's not the point here!)

The brunette, dropped his pen on his desk with a slight 'plunk' sound, and checked his phone to see if he could go home.

It read: 8:45. Oh yeah, he was going home. After packing his stuff, he glanced over to his editor-in-chief's desk. His coat and bag were still there, signaling that the man was still in a meeting. Though…That wasn't very hard to tell, due to the constant yelling the brunette heard after he advanced into the hallway. He exited the building with ease, and unconsciously made his way home.

He stood in the doorway of his apartment for a moment, half wondering how he got here, the other half simply not wanting to move. Much to the other half's displeasure, the brunette closed the door behind him, slipped off his shoes, and advanced into his apartment with ease. His stomach growled, an alert from his insides saying: 'Feed me or face my wrath.' To prove a point, the brunette's stomach started to burn with hunger, growling loudly to enhance the feeling.

Ritsu made his way to the fridge, and opened it to see a small piece of cake he had been saving from his trip to his mother's. It was a vanilla cake, with strawberry filling, and on top was a small, golden candle that was left unburned. The brunette grinned, and grabbed the small slice, putting it on a plate while humming a happy tune.

Today held many meanings; being the start of March. Ironically it was the day from ten years ago that he had round-house kicked his Senpai. However, it was also the day he discovered what he really was, and what the monster he was. After the despair of his Senpai's laughter, he ran out of the house in tears. Anger and sadness and a bunch of other emotions clogged up his will, and he-err, I guess you could say 'transformed'? Sure. Let's go with that. He unintentionally 'transformed' into his real form, marking the day he discovered his true self. It was only a few hours later of the transformation that he was found and shot down by the military, being kept hostage for that long period of darkness.

Many meanings indeed, held the first day of March. Satisfied, Ritsu hurried to close all the curtains and turn out the lights in the apartment. This was a tradition he had carried on from his college days, but he really started to do it when he was locked in the darkness. (Though, he didn't have the cake.) He ran back over to the slice of cake, and waited to calm his breathing.

No matter how many times he did it, it never got old. The brunette grinned in satisfaction of the moment and nodded to himself that he was ready. He held his finger about an inch before his lips, and blew.

But air didn't come out.

Instead, fire did.

He blew only a small amount, so much not to completely inflame his index finger, (he needed that after all!) but enough so that a small flame ignited and flared at the tip of the finger. Using the flame's light to guide him, he slowly moved his finger down to the cake, and lit the single golden candle. Within a swift movement, he drew his hand back, and whipped it across his chest, blowing the flame on his finger out.

He then smiled, watching as the shadows of the ignited candle danced on the counter, as the flame itself bobbed up and down on the golden wax. He treasured the sight, and then whispered the same words he had bound to his heart forever.

"_Liete latuparietos ulos aleaslos balolietolie."_

And with that, he blew out the candle, once again secluding the male in darkness.

* * *

**Hey guys! Hoped you liked it! I hope it wasn't so obvious on what Ritsu really is! **

**Oh, and by the way, **_**"Liete latuparietos ulos aleaslos balolietolie." **_** Is the spell from Castle in the Sky that Sheeta's grandmother teaches her. It means "Save me, and revive the eternal light." In Ritsu's case, he started it when he was held hostage at Area 51, alone in the darkness. So it was him asking for help, and someone to restore the light he longed to see. Hope it doesn't seem too cheesy :P**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Bloody Bad Day

**Hey Guys! So, I haven't updated this in a while…And I feel bad for neglecting it soooo~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sekaiichi Hatsukoi or any of the characters!**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

_You said you were a sure sign, it's feeling like the last time.  
Play it back; it's going over and over.  
Give it up and pull me through, all of this to tell you..._

I've been thinking, take me now, I'm in too far!~  
Can't stop feeling, doesn't matter who you are!  
This could be my last goodbye,  
You could say I'll be alright~  
I've been thinking-

**BANGGG!**

The brunette once again shot up, slamming his hand on the alarm clock to cease the blaring music so goddamn early in the morning. Not really remembering how he got into bed last night, Ritsu got up from his ever-so-comfy spot in the mattress. As he slipped away from the warmth, some of the blankets were hesitant to let go of his thin figure, as if they were trying to pull him back into slumber.

_Gee, don't I wish I could_, the brunette thought bitterly as he dressed himself for work. He had that feeling in his gut. That feeling when you absolutely 100% knew that today was not going to be a good day.

And he was right. First, disregarding the time of his wake, he managed to miss the subway by a slim two minutes, resulting the brunette in sprinting his way to Marukawa Publishing. And if that wasn't bad enough to frustrate the male, it just _had_ to start raining halfway to the building.

Arriving at the office without any breakfast in his stomach, the drenched and breathless brunette was scolded by his boss for his tardiness. He was then smacked on the head roughly with a newspaper five minutes later for being so half-assed as to have misplaced a page of a manuscript that was needed for the new edition that just so happened to be due in three days.

His stomach growling, the brunette worked hastily and hard-headed as he typed away on his computer. Ignoring the paining sensation of his fingers, thoughts whizzed in and out of Ritsu's mind like lightning bolts. _I ought to give Satou-san a call to see how she's doing so far… _he thought, sighing as more things that needed to be done piled up in his head like a dump. He was oblivious to the amount of commotion in the hallways, and the curiosity of his coworkers.

"What's going on? Did someone famous arrive?" Kisa asked to nobody in particular, only to result a familiar black stapler thrown in his direction.

"IF YOU HAVE TIME TO THINK ABOUT FAMOUS PEOPLE, THEN DO YOUR WORK DAMMIT!" the editor in chief raged, slamming his fists down on his desk. Kisa then sat down obediently, after slurring a weak "yes sirrrr~"

It was then that the editor in chief sighed, taking in his other workers. They all seemed to be working steadily, except for one. His eyes stopped on a certain brunette, who was flying through his work like a bullet. One hand was typing on the computer, as he seemed to be working on a proposal, as the other held his phone up to his ear, checking up on his author to see how she was doing. Still, Masamune couldn't help but stare deep at the focused emerald orbs that seemed weak, tiresome and…lifeless? Growing concerned, the male made a mental note to ask the brunette about it after work, his gaze being lifted to the doorway as he sensed a new presence in the air.

It seemed that his coworkers had senses it as well. One by one, their gazes were locked on the doorway, staring in awe and confusion. That is, all except one. All except for Ritsu.

There, standing in the doorway was a tall, intimidating like man, surrounded by two smaller men who seemed to act like guards. The man's crystal blue eyes pierced the room like a dagger, undisturbed by the shaggy black hair pulled up high underneath the commander's hat. It seemed as he was wearing a military outfit, and as the two soldiers dressed similar, it was simple to see that the man was from the army. With a clear from his throat, the man spoke in a cold, ice-cutting tone.

"I have come to put Onodera Toshio Ritsu under a full-time arrest in which he will be imprisoned for the rest of his wretched life."

* * *

Silence. The room was filled with silence as all eyes shot directly at the brunette, whom in which was finally pulled from his bustling work, and was frozen in terror. "U-Um…Satou-san….I-I'll have to call you back later…" he said nervously, as he set down his phone. Gulping, his coworkers watched silently as Ritsu met the commander's gaze, immediately trembling at the deathly glare shot in his direction.

"U-Um…Uncle Haui! I didn't expect to see you-"

"I believe I have told you that I'm not related to such a horrid creature as of yourself." The commander shot back coldly. "You are to refer to me as 'Sir' and only 'Sir'. IS THAT CLEAR, MUTT?"

"SIR YES SIR!" the brunette responded without hesitation, his lips quivering frantically. He was more or less aware of his ex-lovers concerned gaze. _This guy…He's Ritsu's uncle but…._Masamune felt his world shake in anger at the way his lover was being treated. _He's calling him a mutt, and arresting him? What the hell could Ritsu have done to get arrested?_

"Well then, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way, mutt." Haui said, lifting two fingers in a beckoning way to the brunette. "C'mon, just be a good boy and don't cause any trouble. Maybe then we won't have to use the chains, ne?"

"The Chains?!" Kisa blurted out, standing up in shock. The commander shot him a menacing glare, causing the editor to cower down back into his seat, shaking like a Chihuahua. Sighing once more, Haui then turned to Ritsu with an impatient expression.

"Come, Mutt. It's time to go back to the cell you spent your time in as a teen," The commander said, grinning as he approached the brunette, "or have you forgotten, just how the darkness was so thick that it muffled the screams and cries of your weak, helpless self?"

"I-I haven't f-forgotten, sir." Ritsu said, shivering in fear as memories clouded his head like a wildfire.

"Good then, we don't have a problem it would seem." It was then that Haui roughly grabbed the brunette by his very own locks, slamming him down to the ground earning a large groan of pain. "What was that? You dare show weakness in front of me? You're such an animal!" Haui grinned darkly, stomping his hand on the brunette's hand. Ritsu let out a silent scream, muffling his grunts with his other hand as tears flew out of his eyes.

Masamune was pissed. He had no right to hurt him! Ritsu had done nothing. He then stood up, and decided to act.

"STOP!"

As soon as he stood up, the guards from earlier had pointed their guns right in his direction. His eyes became pools of fear, as the commander eyed him warily. "Stop what? Oh, this?" Lifting his boot high in the air, he then stomped roughly on Ritsu's head. Ritsu then let out a yelp, his bloody knuckle twitching as his head was slammed against the carpet. With a wicked laugh, Haui continued the cruelty repeatedly.

"Stop it!" Masamune screeched, only to have his arms pinned behind his back by the guards. Haui halted and turned to the man with an impatient gaze. He let out a sigh, walking towards the doorway without hesitation.

"Perhaps we'll have room in the cell for two...Bring four eyes along as well. I'm sure that the mutt would like some company. Only natural for such beasts to get along." He said, advancing two guards to grab the bloody brunette on the carpet. Kisa then stood up once more, gathering all of his courage once more. "Y-You can't take them!" he shouted. "They haven't done any-" the Shouta was then cut off once more by the menacing gaze of the commander, sending the editor cowering down in his seat in fear.

As the brunette was forced to get up from his own bloody pile on the carpet, Masamune watched helplessly as his lover struggled not to cough up blood. One by one, chains were latched on his already crimson-stained wrists, and Ritsu let out yet another yelp of pain as the cold metal dig into his skin. Tears flew from emerald orbs softly, as the hard-headed persistent man from but a few minutes ago was replaced with a bloody mess of a prisoner. It was madness. Complete and utterly cruelty that Masamune felt his stomach go sick at such a sight.

For Ritsu, however, it was much worse. His head was spinning, and he was only half-conscious, repeating over and over in his mind that it was all just a dream…It had to be, right? His legs felt like jelly, and the chains were so tight that he didn't really feel much pain anymore. All he could feel was the cold, numb feeling, and the occasional rolling blood that trailed down his body. His head felt fuzzy too, and it was almost hard to stay conscious of his surroundings.

"Let's go, scumbag." A sharp voice chimed, much too sharp to have been his uncles. It didn't sound as if the two guards next to him had said it either. It sounded…Almost behind. Turning his head as quickly as it would allow, he slowly glanced behind his shoulder to see his boss, staring at him with concern and worry. His arms were pinned behind his back, and the guards were shuffling him forward, headed over to the doorway. "Takano-san…" he mumbled, thoughts shaking in his head. _No…I-I can't allow him to….can't allow him to… _The brunette's thoughts trailed off, as he hung his head, hiding his face under his bangs as they slowly trotted past him.

_No…I have to do this. I have to stay strong. For…M-Masamune… _Raising his head once more, face a little pink from his inner-pledge to save his boss, the brunette swiftly turned sideways and head-butted one of the guards. Hard. Watching as the guard fell to the ground, he kicked the other guard in the stomach with as much strength he could muster, trying to ignore the flaring pain in his head. "He's escaped! Quickly, capture him!" Haui screeched, the two guards who had held Masamune stopping and waltzing over to the brunette.

It was that one glance that changed everything. If it weren't for that one glance, things would have been different. But Ritsu…he made that one small glance at Masamune's wrists, and saw the blood trickling down from the tight grip of the previous two guards. Okay, that's it. Now, somebodies ass was getting kicked.

"Hurry, before he runs for it! He has chains on for god's sake, it's not like he can do anything!" The commander yelled, as the two guards raced forward. Grinning like a mad man, the brunette did an almost perfect backflip, landing with a slight 'huff' as he distanced himself away from the guards. Then, with a simple snap of his wrists, the chains broke into pieces, falling to the ground. The guard's stared, wide-eyed in fear, as the two guards Ritsu had weakened earlier stood; ready to fight behind their comrades.

"Four against one? That's not very fair." The brunette snickered, but approached the guards fearlessly nonetheless. The First guard-(We'll number them off so you don't get confused)-drew his fist back ready to punch, but instead found himself slammed on the floor over his opponents shoulder, and then kicked hard in the stomach for a finishing move.

Guard Number 1: Now barely conscious; Unable to move.

The second guard, enraged by the defeat of his fellow member charged at Ritsu at a full speed. However, the brunette was faster, and caught the guard's leg in mid-kick; twisting it backwards and sending him sprawled on the floor. But before he could even touch the ground, Ritsu grabbed him roughly by his neck, and head-butted the guard for the second time today.

Guard Number 2: Unconscious with a twisted ankle; Probably going to need some Advil when awake…

It was then that young Ritsu turned to the third guard. Chuckling at sudden flinch, he approached the guard, who seemed frozen in his spot. Now, the brunette may be cold and jaded, but he wasn't heartless. And he could see that the man before him was probably scared for his life. "Eh, you seem like a nice guy. Go home." Ritsu said, and it was mere seconds later that the man was dashing out of the building, away from the brunette.

Guard Number 3: Completely conscious (though he wished otherwise) and currently on his way home to be with his wife and kids. How sweet!

Finally, it was then that our young hero turned to the fourth guard, who stared at the brunette like a psychopath as he breathed heavily. "Well, I guess there are two options for you." Ritsu said, hands on his hips. "You can join that guy who just left and go home to your family, or you can join your fellow comrades seen on the floor," The brunette then gestured to the two men sprawled on the floor as if to emphasis his words.

As if deciding on a chocolate or vanilla ice-cream, the fourth guard was full of confusion and craziness, that it was only a few mere seconds that he had made his choice. He had chosen blueberry. Charging at the brunette much like the second guard, he attempted to hurt Ritsu in any way, shape, or form. But once more, Ritsu was too fast. Dodging the guards tasks until he was out of breath, the brunette came to a halt as the guard stopped, panting and wheezing from lack of air. "Y…You…*hack* Your gonna get it now!" he growled, slowly staggering his way to Ritsu.

Then, as if the most devious plan had come to his mine, the brunette smirked, and snickered under his breath. "You're gonna love this one, Takano-san." He muttered, hiding his face under his bangs. Masamune, already wide-eyed like the rest of the editors of his former kouhais fighting techniques, gulped a little as he knew what was coming up next.

The guard took his time approaching his opponent, his breath ridged like an icicle. _Just few more_ _steps…._Ritsu thought, growing impatient at the single 'taps' of the man's walking.

_'Tap' 'Tap' 'Tap'_

_Just one more…One more step and I'm ready._

_'Tap'-_

Before anybody could blink, Ritsu's leg shot up like lightning, his foot meeting the guard's chin in a perfect roundhouse kick. Flying through the air, the guard found himself falling on Guard Number 1, knocking the both of them into full unconsciousness.

Guard Number 4: Completely knocked out, knocking out Guard Number 1 in the process.

-Score:-

Ritsu: 1

Haui: 0

* * *

After a moment or two of silence, a deep throaty sigh was heard from the doorway. Everyone's attention immediately fell on Haui, who was face palming himself on the failure of his guards. "You've improved, it seems." He muttered, seeming generally ticked off. "We can talk about this when I'm done with work." All eyes then flew to Ritsu, who was standing tall with an emotionless expression shading his features. "I'll meet you at the base at 10:45 sharp. I expect to meet you there alone." The brunette growled with a hint of a warning in his tone.

Then, his frown slowly fading away, Haui smirked and simply nodded his head. "Here then, before I go," Reaching into his pocket, the commander pulled out what seemed to be a newspaper and tossed it onto the desk, " maybe you can review your crimes for this evening chat." And with that, the commander took his leave, muttering something about having someone pick up his guards later.

There was an awkward moment of silence before Ritsu pulled up his injured hand to his eyes vision, and examined it with a tired sigh. "A-Are you okay, Riichan?" Kisa asked nervously, a bit frightened of his fellow editor at the moment. The brunette then sent him an appreciative look, his eyes smiling wider than his mouth. "Yeah, I'm fine." he replied, wiping the blood off his forehead with his wrists.

"You are not fine!" Masamune screeched, his rage filling the entire apartment. _Oh shit…here we go…._Ritsu thought as the older male grabbed a clean part of his wrist and dragging him out of the office and into the bathroom.

He expected his boss to then through a fuss, scrubbing his wounds vigorously until there wasn't a speck of blood in sight. He didn't expect was his boss pinning him to the wall, and kissing him in an almost relieved and worrisome way.

But, the thing he REALLY didn't expect was when he, Onodera Ritsu, kissed Takano Masamune back with almost the same exact attitude. His pride seemed to have washed away at the moment, as every inch of his body and soul wanted the older male closer. It wasn't long before a peculiar but somewhat expected thought filled his head.

_Maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all…_

* * *

**Hey guys, sorry I have to end here for now (: **

** When Haui said Onodera Toshio Ritsu, 'Toshio' was referring to a middle name that is currently unknown, so I decided I might as well put one in just for the heck of it!**

** I added some hints of humor to try and make it not all so angsty…Sorry, this is the only story Imma allow myself to torture the characters :P **

**Well, Thanks for reading! **


	3. Confessions and Some Coffee

**Ellos C: I'm an ass. I know. :P But I just got back from camp the other day and I got really inspired, as I've been suffering from a hellhole of writer's block. Had my first slow-dance with a guy.(: I'm a happy camper. Badummmpsh.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sekaiichi Hatsukoi or any of the characters!**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

_Oh no, this couldn't be more unexpected  
and I can tell that I've been moving in so slow  
Don't let it throw you off too far  
Cause I'll be running right behind you_

_Oohhh, when I'm around you I'm predictable  
'Cause I believe in loving you at first sight  
I know it's crazy but I'm hoping to...  
To take a hold of you…_

The brunette mentally slammed down on his alarm clock, and found his arms locking around a robust and tough neck, his nimble fingers tangling themselves in greasy ebony locks. Of course, neither of them had bathed in a few days, as it was towards the end of the cycle. Yet that thought was shunned away as the two enveloped in a fury of passion.

Disregarding the burning of his wounded hand, Ritsu allowed himself to be swallowed by the warmth of his ex-lover, as his legs were wrapped around sturdy hips that lifted him up slightly. Now level with each other, Masamune roughly devoured on his co-workers plump muscle, as said brunette mewled, completely wedged up in the hot sensation.

As they parted for a breather, Ritsu was already a hot mess. He quivered lightly, his eyes glazed over with lust and want. He knew this situation was getting out of hand. A voice in the back of his head was shouting that, over and over. But he couldn't help it. Takano Masamune was the only man to ever drive him crazy like this. And he absolutely loved it.

_"Ritsu…" _ There he goes again. That idiot…Calling his name like that. How could he resist if he called his name so cravingly like that? He raised his orbs up to glassy brown ones, and felt a sudden rush of adrenaline flash through his veins. Smashing his lips onto the ravenettes, he clumsily jarred their teeth together, but paid no notice to his sloppy mistake as he wiggled his tongue into his bosses' hot cavern.

Masamune automatically kissed back, sliding his hands down his ukes' torso, touching everywhere he could. Ritsu found himself pulling the older male closer with every touch, his body craving-no, aching to be touched. Two tongues fought messily for dominance, which Masamune obviously claimed the victory. He tilted his lovers head back, devouring every inch of his mouth as he could. Saliva dripped heavily down their cheeks as their lips were interlocked closer and closer.

An impatient growl rumbled in the ravenettes throat as he pulled away from the kiss, not hesitating a second to start nipping lightly down Ritsu's jaw, and down his neck. His experienced fingers slid the buttons on the younger males' shirt out quickly, revealing his chest.

Ritsu withered under every kiss, putty in his semes' hands. Reaching the brunette's collarbone, Masamune chomped down hard, and then lightly sucked and kissed at the broken skin. Said males' head rolled panting in absolute pleasure as his glassy eyes fluttered open. Staring back at the mirror, he saw the position he was in, and immediately recovered his momentarily-lost sanity. Part of his heel above the sock was revealed, and the skin was imprinted with a bright gold, in an almost scale-like pattern.

This was getting bad. He had to stop.

The brunette was about to protest his thoughts aloud as the older male took an erect pink nub into his mouth, sucking lightly as he twisted the latter in his fingers roughly. A moan slipped off the ukes' tongue, as he squeezed his eyes shut, and placed his palm on the center of the older mans' forehead.

"Sleep." He whispered, watching as his attackers' eyes fluttered shut, and he fell unconsciously to the floor, pulling his uke with him. Ritsu yelped as the cold tile hit his back, and groaned as he untangled his limbs from the other males. He set Masamune sitting up against the wall, and kissed his forehead without thinking. "When you wake up, you won't remember anything regarding the men that came in today, or…or what happened just now in the bathroom." He spoke the last part cautiously, and sighed. Standing, he faced approached the bathroom sink and scrubbed all the blood off of his body.

He then lifted his head, and stared at his reflection, before a ding went off in the air. Looking down at the sink, he saw a drop of water falling halfway from the faucet, stuck in midair. It took a lot of his energy to freeze time. So he'd have to do this quickly. He buttoned his shirt quickly and took a deep sigh.

Advancing from the bathroom, he passed the still bodies in the hallway, careful not to bump into any of them. As he walked into the Maiden Department, he looked from one of his colleagues faces to the other. He extended a hand towards them, and took a deep breath.

"You will also forget everything that happened between me and the army today. You will focus on your work and continue as you always have." He announced loudly, and felt his head start to spin. Rushing back to the bathroom, he fell to the wall, sitting against it just as his boss was. Closing his eyes, he let a huge breath out as the drip in midair fell to the sink, and ran down the drain with a 'click' sound.

Amber eyes blinked open, meeting a standing brunette with an extended hand.

"…Onodera?"

"You left for the bathroom an hour ago, and I found you asleep. Baka, Let's go."

* * *

After several hours of a continuous workflow, Ritsu found himself alone with Takano-san in the department, both residing in an awkward silence only intruded by the occasional flip of a page, or the scribbling of a pen.

A red pen. A different pen. Just like Ritsu.

It was around 11 at night, and over the long work hours, Ritsu decided on some things. He already called his Uncle and cancelled their meeting tonight. It would be tomorrow morning, he had declared, and he intended on leaving early. After meeting with his Uncle, he would not go back to working. He would be leaving. He would do something he never thought he would do.

He would try to find his people. And when he did, he would warn them to stay away. The newspaper delivered by his uncle showed reports of a large scaled flying creature that supposedly burned down an entire city in Tokyo. It was without a doubt one of his own. And he wanted to know why they were attacking Japan. But that was another day, and another fight.

Tonight, he had his own secret agenda.

Sneaking yet another glance over at his boss, emerald clashed with amber as the older man smirked. Blushing at being caught, Ritsu went back to his work, though his mind drifted to other topics.

Tonight, he would confess to Takano-san.

It was crazy, he knew. But a part of him felt guilty for just leaving Takano-san like this. He could be gone for weeks, months, hell, even a year if that were in consideration.

_"If you ever leave me, I won't forgive you." _ Takano-san was dead-serious when he said that a few months back…So after confessing (and possible bed activity) he would inform his new lover of his departure. He knew it was cruel to lead him on like that, but he felt that if he didn't confess before he left, he might not be there to confess in the future. 

"Oi, Onodera, are you ready to head home?" his boss interrupted his thoughts, and he let out a mellow sigh.

"Yeah." He mumbled, gathering his stuff. Masamune, already off of his feet, pulled the brunette into an embrace from behind, letting his lips lightly lay against his ear.

"Come over to my apartment tonight…" he whispered, sending a shiver down the younger male's spine.

"Okay." Ritsu whispered back, surprising the both of them. They ended up holding hands on the subway, and Ritsu didn't protest once, much to Masamunes pleasure.

But looking at his ukes face, he could tell something was going on.

He just wondered what was going on in that head of his.

* * *

The elevator made a 'Ding!' sound as they arrived onto their floor, hands still interlocked as they approached the ravenettes apartment silently. Ritsu bit his lip as Masamune turned the keys into the door, unlocking the apartment with a 'click' sound. The door swung open and the two males slipped in.

Expecting to be thrown against the wall and pounced on immediately, he felt disappointed as the warmth of another hand left his own, and Masamune slipped off his shoes, walking in the apartment. The brunette copied his actions, and followed slowly, throwing his bag down on the couch next to his bosses'.

The older male quickly advanced from the kitchen, with two cups of coffee, one black and one light, as the two sat by the coffee table, enjoying their beverages.

"Oi, Ritsu…" Masamune began, "is everything alright?"

Ah. So he saw through it already, huh? Ritsu smiled lightly. Typical Takano. That man could read the mind of a fortune-teller.

"Yeah…It's just, I-uh…I have to discuss something with you…" Ritsu averted his eyes down to the ground, his hands trembling lightly. So…this was it. This was when he finally admitted his feelings after eleven long years.

"Yeah?" Masamune encouraged, though a hint of worry trailed his tone. He hadn't seen a side of Ritsu like this since a long time ago.

Ritsu bit his lip. It was now or never, right?

"I…Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving." Ritsu burst out. No! This wasn't supposed to come up until after his confession!

Masamunes eyes widened, and he automatically raised his voice. "What do you mean you're 'leaving'?!" He barked angrily.

"Ah…no, I mean…" Ritsu closed his eyes tight, as he allowed himself to take a relaxing breath before continuing.

"Tomorrow…I'm going to see my uncle…" the brunette began, "After that…I have to go. I can't stay around here for long. I- Well, I guess you could say it's a family thing. I already talked with Isaka-sama, so that's already cleared. But…" At this, Ritsu raised his eyes and stared Takano-san straight in the face. "I do intend on coming back. No, I will definitely come back. And when I do, I'd like to start over. You and me. Does that sound okay?"

Masamune blinked, dumbfounded. Ritsu was leaving…but he was coming back and…he wanted to start over…? At this kind of confession, the ravenette felt his cheeks burn up a bit. He was practically saying he loved him!

"And how long will you be gone, exactly?" Masamune asked suspiciously, trying to hide his inner glee and happiness.

Ritsu narrowed his eyes, and averted them to a green vase that stood tall in the corner of the living room. "That all depends on what happens…" he mused over, pausing to think. "At the minimum, a week or two. But at the most…" he trailed off, hanging his head."

"At the most…?" Masamune asked impatiently, though his nerves were on a wreck.

"Ritsu?"

"…ear."

"What?"

"A year. At the most, it will take me a year to come back."

_A year… _Masamune's heart cracked at that. It wasn't anything compared to ten years, but god…He didn't like the sound of being away from his uke for a whole damn year. He felt a familiar indifference start to stir up inside of him, as his joy was shoved aside by anger.

"And you're telling me all of this why, Onodera?" He hissed, glaring daggers at the brunette. "Why the hell should I care in the first place?"

Dammit. He shouldn't have said that. He saw the instant hurt that formed on Ritsu's face after the words fled his mouth. He regretted them instantly. Of course he cared. He wanted to say that, and hold him close to his chest, but Ritsu's lips trembled and stuttered out words before he could even blink.

"Because I love you!" the brunette shouted, his face flushing a dark red.

Everything went gray in the world for Masamune then, and the only thing that mattered was Ritsu. In an instant movement, he was up, grabbing the brunette by his wrist and dragging him to the bedroom, their coffees long forgotten.

Slamming his lover down on his bed, Masamune undid his tie as he planted a rough kiss on his lovers seemingly abused lips. Ritsu kissed back as much as he could, as his mind failed to register the ravenette already naked and sliding off the brunette's boxers as time ticked by.

Large hands roamed every part of Ritsu's body, and he allowed himself to be fully submerged by the pleasure, surrendering himself to the older male.

Before a word could be said, Masamune positioned himself in front of Ritsu's twitching hole, and pounded in, only to gasp by the extremely tight cavern. The brunette cried out, his fingers digging into the sheets as he threw his head back. Pain erupted through him vigorously, but yet he still lifted his hips at the slight tingle of pleasure that ran through his backside.

"Ritsu…" Masamune whispered with a soft expression, planting a chaste kiss on his ukes lips. He began thrusting hard into the younger male, unable to wait any longer than he already had. Ritsu couldn't control mewls and moans that left his mouth as he bucked his hip to the rhythm.

He let out a silent scream as he came all over their stomachs, shuddering all the while. Masamune road out his orgasm a few thrusts later, collapsing his body onto the brunettes. He was being crushed, but Ritsu didn't care, he wrapped his arms around his lover, and closed his eyes. It made him happy being with Masamune like this.

Rolling into a more comfortable position, the ravenette snuggled Ritsu deep into his chest, both laying in silence as their panting died down. "When I wake up…you'll be gone, correct?" Masamune tested with little hope.

Ritsu frowned. Masamune looked like a kicked puppy. But nonetheless, he nodded and laid his head in the crook of the older males' neck.

The ravenette frowned too, pulling him into a tight embrace, only to push him back on his back, and straddle his hips as he pulled him into an intoxicating kiss.

After several more hours of love-making, the newly-made couple relaxed and fell into a slumber, holding each other close.

"I love you, Ritsu…" Masamune whispered one last time.

"…I love you too, Masamune…" Ritsu whispered back for the second time that night.

* * *

**Sorry for the shortness. Hope you enjoyed C: **


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